W o ojj



(No Model.)

D. KIRKWOOD.

BREEOH LOADING FIRE ARM.

Patented May 19, 1885.

Fig l 1 Z I I r WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID lillllUYOOl), Ol BOSTON, )[ARRUI[l'SlC'l"l$.

BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,001, dated May 19,1885.

Application filed June 30, IP84.

T0 aZZ 2117mm it may concern.-

ie it known that I, turn) KTRKWOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of ltlassaehusetts, have invented certain Improve ments in Brcech-Loadi ng Fire-Arms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of the under side of a por tion of a breech-loading tire-arm having my improvements applied thereto, the guard lever and breech-block being removed. Fig. 2 is a similar plan, with the parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rear end of the barrel. of the front end of the ln-cech-piece. Figs. 5 and t5 represent a modification of my invention.

In ngle-barrel breech-loading firearms it is desirable that the barrel should he capable of being readily disconnected from the stock, in order that the two may be packed together in a small compass within a suitable case for convenience in traveling or transportation.

To this end my invention has for its object to provide a simple and convenient means for connecting the barrel with the breechpiecc and disconnecting it therefrom; and consists in a lever mechanism for partially rotating the barrel on its longitudinal axis, and thereby lockingit with or unlocking it from the breechpiece, as hereinafter set forth, the locking device being so constructed that its parts will be caused to engage with or be disengaged from each other by an axial movement of the barrel in the proper direction.

In the said drawings, A represents the breech-piece of a single-barrel tire-arm, and B the barrel, which is connected to the said breech-piece by means of an ordinary seg mental screw, (1, at its rear end, adapted to fit a correspondiugly-formed female screw, I), in the breech piece, the parts being so constructed that a partial rotation of the barrel onits longitudinal axis will cause the screw it to be dis engaged from the screw I), when the barrel can be removed from the breech-piece by drawing it out with the hand.

I will now describe the means by which the barrel is partially rotated on its longitudinal Fig. 4 is an elevation I into the position seen in Fig. 2, and during the (No model.)

axis to lock it with or unlock it from the breech-piece A.

To the under side of the barrel is pivoted at d a powerful lever, l), the short arm or inner end of which is provided with two projections, c f, the larger one, c, of which tits within a recess, 1 in the breeclrpiece, said recess having a straight side, 10, and an in clincd or curved side, 12, while the smaller projection, f, bears against a projection, 11, on the breech-piece when the parts are in the po sition seen in Fig. 1, in which position the barrel is locked in place and the lever 1) held securely by a suitable eateh-in the present instance a projection on its outer end springing into a notch, 15, in the barrel.

To unlock the barrel. the lever l) is moved first part of the movement of this lever the barrel remains stationary, as the width of the recess 5 exceeds that of the projection c, and consequently the barrel 1; is not moved until the projection e strikes the straight side to of the recess 5 This lirst loose movement of the l lever D without rotating the barrel allowsthe projection c to move within the recess 1/ sul'ticicntly to enable it to clear itself from the side 12 of the said recess and allow the barrel to be rotated on its longitudinal axis, which is then accomplished by the further movement of the lever 1) into the position seen in Fig. 2, aml the consequent pressure of the projection 0 against the side ltt of the recess 7. The barrel has now been rotated snilieiently to disengage the screws a b, when it can he disconnected from the breech-piece, as desired.

In putting the barrel and breech-piece together as the lever l) is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, the projection 0 takes a bearing against the curved or inclined side 12 of the recess ,9 in the breech-piece, and thus causes the barrel to be rotated on its longitudinal axis, as desired, to turn the serewsa I) together aml lock it. iirmly to the hreeclrpicce, and when the inward throw or movement of the leverl) has been completed the projection e thereon will extend in a straight line from the fulcrum (Z of the leverl) to the curved surface 12 of the recess g, which curved surface 12 forms the arc of a circle, having its center at the fulcrum d when the lever is in the position seen in l-ig. 1, and this projection c, I when so placed between the side 12 ot' the recess 3/ and the fulcrum r7 ot the lever 1), will form a stop and securely lock the barrel in place. and prevent any possibility of its being lnoved in the slightest degree in a direction to disengage it from the breech-piece until the projection has been moved over into contact with the side it) of the said recess 5 for the reason that any tendency of the barrel to turn on its longitudinal axis in a direction to unlock the barrel will produce a strain in the direction of the length of the projection e between the side 12 and the fulcrum d, which strain will be effectually resisted by the projection 0 when in the position seen in Fi 1.

In unh'u'diing the barrel the projection f of the lever l) at once clears the projection h on the breech-piece; but as the lever D is moved in the direction of the arrow to lock the barrcl the projection comes into contact with the projection h and forms an additional looking device between the barrel and the breechpiece, while the curved portion 1' of the lever i) also takes a bearing against the adjacent side of the projection 14, which eifectually prevents the barrel from being rotated beyond its proper position in locking it to the said breechpiece in case the screw should become loose from wear.

I do not confine myself to the employment of a segmental screw as a means of connecting the barrel with the breech-piece, as any other suitable device which is capable of being locked and unlocked by the rotation of the barrel on its longitudinal axis may be employed instead, if preferred.

The construction and arrangement of the levcrI), and its method of engagement with the breech-piece to produce a movement of the barrel on its longitudinal axis may be varied, if desired, without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, instead ofthe lever being constructed and arranged to swing out to one side of the barrel in a horizontal plane, as above described, it maybe so arranged on the under side of the barrel asto swing downward and upward, as seen in Fig. 5, the short or inner arm of the lever fitting between the inclined surfaces oftwo stationary projections, 7; Ir, l ig. ti, on the breech-piece, which thus produce a partial rotation of the barrel on its longitudinal axis, as the short arm ofthe lever is moved vertically between them, while these two projections, fitting snugly against opposite sides of the short arm of the lever when in the position seen in Fig. l

5, serve to lock thebarrcl and prevent it from turning in eitherdirection.

\Yhat I claim as my invention. and desire to secure by Letters latcnt. is

l. The combination, with the barrel land brccchliece A, having c nnecting screwthreads. and adapted to be c nnected anddis connected by rotation of thcbarrcl on ilslongitndinal 2l\l. of a lever, ll. pivoted to the under side ofsaid barrel. and adapted to en gage with the bl'eeclrpiccc and lie llat along the under side of the barrel when its movement is completed, substantially as and for the purpose set forlli.

2. Thecombination. with the barrel ll and the breeelrpiecc A, having a recess, y, said barrel and brccclcpicce having connecting screw-threads, of the lever I having a. projection, c, at its inner end tilting within the recess g in the breech-piece whereby the barrcl is locked when the inward throw of the lever 1) is completed.substaut ially as described.

3. The combination, wilh the barrel 1; and the breech-piece A, having a recess, and a. projection, I), said barrel and brecclrpicce having connecting serew-thrtads. of the lever I), provided with a projection, r. tltt ing wit hin the recess r and having a portion. 1'. which talv'es a bearing against the projection on the lilward movement of the lever ii, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination. with the barrel .3 and the breech-piece having a recess, 5 and a projection, ll, said barrel and brecch picce having ci'mnecting scrtwv-tbreads. of the lever I), provided with a projection. 1, tilting within the recess u, and having a portion, 1', and a projectiomf, which takes a bearing against the projection /l on the inward movement of the lever I), substantially as described.

.3. The combination, with the barrel I1 and the breech-piece A, having a recess, r said barrel and brecclrpiccc having connecting screw-thrcads. of the lever it. pivoted to the barrel at d, and lirovided with a projection, e, at its inner end, iittingwithin said recess, and having a loose motion therein between itssides 10 and 12,whereby it is caused to clear itself from the side 12 before commencing to rotate the barrel,substantiallyasand for the purpose described.

\Vitncss my hand this 28th dayof June, A. I). 1851.

DAYlI) lit ltlUYUUl).

In presence (if-- 1. 1i. Til-S011EMAtItI-lli, Cius. 111. (Morris. 

